Cameron County, TX Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Ch. 1 § 2.4 Greywater Systems
- Municipal/organized systems
- Must meet 30 TAC Chapter 210
- On-site systems
- Must meet 30 TAC Chapter 285
- Applies to
- Subdivisions of 5 acres or less
- Administered by
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
- Civil penalty
- $500-$1,000 per violation per day
Summary
In unincorporated subdivisions of five acres or less, a subdivider who proposes to reuse treated wastewater (greywater) must design the system to the state's own reclaimed-water rules: 30 TAC Chapter 210 for a municipal or organized sewerage system, or Chapter 285 for an on-site facility, under Section 2.4 of the county's Subdivision Rules.
2.4 Greywater Systems for Reuse of Treated Wastewater
A. Organized or municipal sewerage systems. Any proposal for sewage collection, treatment and disposal which includes greywater reuse shall meet minimum criteria of 30 TAC Chapter 210 promulgated and administered by the Commission.
B. On-site sewerage facilities. Any proposal for on-site sewage disposal which includes provisions for greywater use shall meet the minimum criteria of 30 TAC Chapter 285.
Full Breakdown
Cameron County doesn't run its own greywater code. 4 of Chapter 1 of the county's Subdivision Rules and Regulations, the Model Subdivision Rules that apply to any unincorporated subdivision creating two or more lots of five acres or less for residential use, folds the state's reclaimed-water standards directly into the plat-approval process. A subdivider whose sewage collection and treatment proposal for an organized or municipal system includes reusing treated wastewater must meet the minimum design criteria of 30 TAC Chapter 210, administered by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (called 'the Commission' throughout these rules).
B. 39, and larger systems fall under Chapter 317. 5, which cites 30 TAC Chapters 312 and 317. Because the county incorporates these state design chapters by reference rather than writing its own greywater standard, the practical requirement for a developer is engineering approval showing the proposed reuse system meets whichever TAC chapter applies before the county will approve the final plat.
Violations & Fines
A subdivider whose greywater or sewage design doesn't meet the required TAC chapter risks having final plat approval withheld during the county's review. Separately, Chapter 2, Section 5.2 exposes anyone who violates these Subdivision Rules or Local Government Code Chapter 232 to a civil penalty of $500 to $1,000 per violation per day (capped at $5,000 a day), plus the county's court costs, investigative costs and attorneys' fees; knowingly failing to file a required plat is a Class A misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cameron County have its own greywater ordinance?
Which subdivisions does this rule cover?
What happens if a developer's greywater design doesn't meet the state chapter?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cameron County
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Cameron County to another location·View the Texas water use rules overview
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